Management Styles

[tauntongull]

Ten games in and I have been thinking about the Buckle / Ling management styles.

As we know Buckle never really seemed to admit that we didn't play well and had an unquestionable loyalty to the players - even at times more so than the fans. I remember watching a number of games and thinking that the team played badly only to hear Buckle say 'I won't blame my players' when I thought, it's either your fault or theirs - take you pick.

Contrast this with Martin Ling's approach of more or less openly naming and shaming players - a very different approach. One of the differences I note is that he does take responsibility for poor performances, what concerns me more is that defensively we have been very poor for a number of games, have come out and almost played identically for the first 45 minutes and have had similar poor end results - yet we keep doing it!. If you don't change anything - your going to get the same results and my long term concern and what frustrates me as a fan is I can see teams putting us under pressure and giving us no time on the ball and we simply can't cope with it. Couple this with the way that we keep conceding goals in the first 45 minutes giving ourselves no chance to win the game.

I do wonder sometimes what we are thinking - Shrewsbury on Saturday was a pedestrian performance, stroking the ball about at the back - back and forth - holding on to the ball and then losing possession with no penetration and no determination to run at defenders and make them commit to a challenge in the box. We just seemed to lack ideas as to what to do with the ball or we try intricate triangles and lose the ball, or Eunan tries a killer pass that gets intercepted when the simple option would be better. Oh, and I have to laugh at our free kick on Saturday - what the hell happened there. It's about the fourth time this season when all the players on the ball have no idea what they are going to do with it - resulting in a complete farse! While I am on the subject too - it would be good to see some variations on corners and set pieces rather than the same predictable ball to the far post! Keep teams guessing!

Now as I understand it, Shaun Taylor is our defensive coach. However, I haven't seen any real improvement in the areas of concern. Robertson is regularly getting beaten to the ball by strikers and we do seem to struggle defensively when teams play in behind us. I think like most fans, I would be reassured if I saw improvements in these areas. Just glad Bobby is between the posts or I feel it could have been a lot more!

Would be interested to hear others views.

[Dave]

On management styles give me Martin Ling over Buckle any day of the week, us football fans are not stupid nor are the players, us fans do not need patronising, i did not go to Shrewsbury nor did i get a chance to listen to the match on the radio, from the reports into the game i have read it sounds like the team did not even get on the bus let alone off it .

From Buckle we would have got the grass was to dry , to long, the ref , the wind was blowing and above it was not my fault, from Ling he has told us just how it was, the team on the day were not good enough, Martin Ling is honest and takes the blame for poor performances, thats all you can ask.

My hope as a fan, is Ling/Taylor will sit down with the players and try to get to the bottom of why they are starting matchs so slowly, we have seen the team fight back time and time again, our luck was allways going to run out sooner rather than later, there has to be a reason for it, our team have proved they are capable, away to Rovers, home to Macclesfield, and some of the football played in the fight back against Burton and Rotherham was second to none.

I think you are right, defensivly our team are lightyears away from where they should be, am i right in saying Saah, Robbo and Ellis are all right sided centre backs, if so there is problem number one, and a massive problem, people can say they are pros that should not be an issue, rubbish, if you are right sided you are going to naturaly drift to the right regardless of how good a player you are, and to me i have not missed a home match and been to Rovers our defense does not look balanced, our team seem to be defending as individuals and there seems to be lack of communication back there, a massive improvment is required at the back.

To be fair to Martin Ling, Buckle did not leave the team in the best shape he could have, the back bone of our team were all on loan, Bevan and Branston could and should have been given new contacts in January as per all previous Buckle season's, and Zebroski , well thats best left alone.

Ling has come in with a reduced player budget and had to re-build the team, i think what Ling has done in the first instance is put togehter a side he feels is competative at this level, and i think as time goes by you will probaly see one player out one player in as Ling bit by bit builds a team capable of pushing on to the next level, also fair play to Lingy he has said all the players in this squad will get there chance to prove themselves, those who dont i should imagine will be moved on soon, over all i am happy with things on the pitch as a fan, however would like to see us start to dominate and get results at home.

[Father Jack]

Some very valid points there Den.

Depending on your view, either the poor defensive displays are due to a)defenders not up to the job or b)not enough support from the formation/midfield.

My own observations are that either way, repeating the same mistakes game after game fall at feet of the management, not the players. If the players are not up to the job then swap the players around, if its the formation/support from midfield, change it to something that is more solid.

Its certainly a truism that successful teams are built from the back, get that sorted and you stop giving away easy goals. Recruiting another right sided centreback to go with the 2 we already had was not a wise move, as has been shown by our performances. Im not convinced that Joe Oastler is suited to rightback either. Its all very well saying a fullback is good going forward, bugger all use if their defending isnt up to scratch though.

Yes it would have been nice to sign Branston to a longer contract in January (and Bevs as well), shame everyone happily ignores the fact that there was no more money in the pot to do that. We could not sign any players onto new contracts without releasing some on existing contracts (with Stanley being the primary target). Add to that, what Branners was looking for was above our structure, as witnessed by his comments on signing for Bradford (and at his age, I cant blame him one bit for looking for financial security). Maybe he will have a bust up with someone at the club and come here on loan again?

Someone on another site put a breakdown of the goals conceded this season, i think its now something like 7 (half the total conceded) from crosses in from the fullback area, most of which (6 i think) came from the right back area. Get the defensive side of things sorted and the rest will then look after itself.

As for the post match comments issue, I was always taught that you dont criticise your staff in public. We appear to have gone from one extreme to the other.

[markygull]

Bit off topic but was absolutely amazed to find out that all the tufc players had been given fish and chips after the match from 'flippin fish' not far from the ground. (we went in there around 8pm and the owner who was serving who was at the game told us)

lets reward a shite performance with a treat...brilliant

[diamondgirl]

Bit off topic but was absolutely amazed to find out that all the tufc players had been given fish and chips after the match from 'flippin fish' not far from the ground. (we went in there around 8pm and the owner who was serving who was at the game told us)

lets reward a shite performance with a treat...brilliant

Just a little "off Topic" Marky. Suppose the guys do have to eat, shite performance or not.

[Gulliball]

They're not 4 year olds being taught right from wrong, it really doesn't matter what they eat on a Saturday night.

Losing a game doesn't mean they should be on bread and gruel until next Saturday.

[Wubble U]

I think most of us find it a breath of fresh air to hear Ling come out and say it excatly how it is after the game, having heard Buckle's "its everyone else's fault but ours we lost today" interviews in the past.

My only concern is that if Ling isn't careful he could really start to piss the players off. Buckle seemed to know what he was doing, and to be fair he always ran a happy camp, and the team spirit he built was one of his main strengths as a manager.

Maybe protecting the players as he did instilled more loyalty in the team and therefore a greater desire to play for their manager. I'm sure Buckle still read the riot act behind closed doors, but I just wonder whether the media front was a ploy to keep morale up within the team, reduce expectation on the players so they were more relaxed coming out for the next game. Maybe this was the key to his success, and maybe the reason Ling never succeeded at Cambridge...?

[ferrarilover]

Bit off topic but was absolutely amazed to find out that all the tufc players had been given fish and chips after the match from 'flippin fish' not far from the ground. (we went in there around 8pm and the owner who was serving who was at the game told us)

lets reward a shite performance with a treat...brilliant

That's it, close the book on this month's 'Quote of the Month'.

Oh Marky, that might just be the funniest thing I have ever read on here. Send them to bed with no tea!

Matt.

[markygull]

they should've been given chick peas and riveta after that performance ;P

[Gullscorer]

Everyone, the team, the manager, the supporters, the media, knows that Saturday's performance was poor. In his post-match interview Ling blamed himself as much as his team; refreshing honesty which one rarely hears from other managers, and I've no doubt that he and the players will be working hard to sort things out. Next Saturday will be their chance to show how much they've turned it around, but the supporters must also play their part; get behind the team on Saturday against the current leaders, who are not unbeatable - after all, Bristol Rovers have just defeated them!

[Scott Brehaut]

Buckle seemed to know what he was doing, and to be fair he always ran a happy camp, and the team spirit he built was one of his main strengths as a manager.

Yep - no player fall outs ever..........

[Father Jack]

Yep - no player fall outs ever..........

Just remind me, where are the likes of Woody, Matt Green & Jake Thompson again ???

edit: LOL nice auto correct someone

[tufcbrett]

This was always a rebuild season for the club. The club got to sort out the Stand and other things off the pitch. Ling gets to work on the squad and in Jan/End of season he will let go what he doesnt want and replace with what he feels is better. I feel next season will be our chance to push for playoffs but then who says we cant this season.

I like Lings style, hes honest. He wont be upsetting anyone saying how he feels to the press as the players them selfs will know. Buckle would have told the players exactly what he thought at training and the dressing room. Soe people have issues with Ling because weve had a bad few games.

its happends were a league 2 side and im sure the squad are trying what they can to stop this poor start.

[friendlygas]

To be honest you seem to be a lot more sensible in your assessments of your Manager than our fans. On our forum whenever Buckle says anything EVERY word is analysed and some taken totally out of context. have to say I like listening to Paul buckle and I think he has built a good side which will improve. I like his style and makes a great change to trollopes final third and also his most famous quoe "We are a much better side when we havent got the ball" That one really made me laugh because luckily for trolls we didnt have the bloody thing very often!! I think Management styles are very much a personal preference but myself I like somebody who sounds enthusiastic when they talk and Buckle is A1 at that. I can imagine that like you seemed to have last season that itt is a reasonably nice place to work under buckle and North.

[Southampton Gull]

To be honest you seem to be a lot more sensible in your assessments of your Manager than our fans. On our forum whenever Buckle says anything EVERY word is analysed and some taken totally out of context. have to say I like listening to Paul buckle and I think he has built a good side which will improve. I like his style and makes a great change to trollopes final third and also his most famous quoe "We are a much better side when we havent got the ball" That one really made me laugh because luckily for trolls we didnt have the bloody thing very often!! I think Management styles are very much a personal preference but myself I like somebody who sounds enthusiastic when they talk and Buckle is A1 at that. I can imagine that like you seemed to have last season that itt is a reasonably nice place to work under buckle and North.

You should enter that on our Quote of the Month thread